MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 - SCHOOL
CLOSED—LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 - SCHOOL CLOSED
- ADMISSIONS DAY (Observed)
*****************
SEE YOU ALL AT THE
SMASH BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT POTLUCK
DINNER!
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - from 5:30 -
6:30PM
Details in today’s Friday Letter
*****************
Dear
SMASHing Families,
My Summer was
full of professional reading and journaled reflections about our SMASH
instructional program. I hope to share many of these reflections throughout
Friday Letter entries in the coming months.
One of the
books I read was the psychological nonfiction book Quiet by Susan Cain. One of
the areas this book pushed me to think about is the collaborative work we
implement in SMASH classrooms.
Susan Cain
understandably states that the most effective teams have a healthy mix of
introverts and extroverts and that 1/3 to 1/2 of all people are introverts
(Page 255). Extroverts tend to like movement, stimulation, and collaborative
work. Introverts prefer lectures, downtime, and independent projects.
Her research
compels me to think about where each of our students falls on the
introvert-extrovert spectrum in order to better address each child’s need for
cooperative vs. independent work and collaborative vs. solo work spaces. Here
are some of Susan Cain’s statements based on characteristics of introversion
about which we can ask our children. (Page 13)
·
I
prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities.
·
I
often prefer expressing myself in writing.
·
People
tell me that I’m a good listener.
·
I’m
not a big risk taker.
·
I
enjoy work that allows me to “dive in” with few interruptions
·
I prefer not to show or discuss my work with others until it
is finished.
·
I
dislike conflict. I tend to think before I speak.
·
In
classroom situations, I prefer lectures to seminars.
As you visit
our classroom learning spaces, I invite you to notice the ways we are trying to
meet the needs of both introverts and extroverts by offering a mix of solo
workspaces, quiet zones, and group meeting areas as well as how we support our
children and ourselves in creating “restorative niches” in our daily lives.
In upcoming
letters, I’ll write about other Susan Cain ideas that spurred my thinking about
the social curriculum elements that build empathy and pro-social behaviors in
our children, and the ways persistence and sustained engagement is nurtured.
Enthusiastically
yours,
Jessica
*****************
Please Join
Us for A SMASHing
Back To
School Night Potluck and
Dinner!
Tuesday, September 3
5:30 to 6:30pm at the cafeteria lunch
tables
6:30 to 7:15pm Adults will join the
PTSA Info Session
There will be supervised play on the yard for the
children.
·
Re-connect
with old friends and
meet new SMASHING families!
·
Learn
about all the fun
and exciting SMASH PTSA events coming up this year and how you can help make
them a success!
We look forward to celebrating SMASH
“Back-To-School” with you!
*****************
Message from our SMASH
PTSA Presidents. . . . . . .
Dear SMASH families,
Welcome back to SMASH! We hope
you had a sunny summer with lots of rest and family time.
We hope you will kick off the
year by joining us for Back To School Night on Tuesday, September 3rd.
This is a great opportunity to
join with the community to share a potluck dinner, meet new SMASH families,
connect with old friends and learn about the events planned for this coming
school year.
Please let Ofer Grossman know
what you are bringing for the potluck by emailing him at omglaw@gmail.com
Potluck Dinner: 5:30pm to
6:30pm
PTSA SMASHING Presentation:
6:30pm to 7:15pm for adults (with
supervised play for children on the yard.)
We look forward to celebrating
SMASH “Back-To-School” with you!
Jamee Tenzer and David Saltzman
****************
DATES TO REMEMBER
Mon, Sept 2 - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tues, Sept 3 - 5:30pm - Back to School
Potluck Dinner
Thur, Sept 5 - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tues, Sept 10 - 6-8pm - Music Back to School
Night at John Adams Auditorium (Details in Friday Letter)
Wed, Sept 11 - 6:00-7:30pm - Core 2 Forum
Fri, Sept 13 - 9:45am - Core 2 assembly
Fri, Sept 13 - Core 4 Staff Appreciation
lunch
Wed, Sept 18 - 6:00-7:30pm - Core 3 Forum
Fri, Sept 20 to Sun, Sept 22 - SMASH Family
Camping at Camp Josepho (details in Friday Letter)
Wed, Sept 25 - 6:00-7:30pm - Core 4 Forum
Fri, Sept 27 - 8am - SMASH Bash Sale in
Small Yard
*****************
Don't Trash
It, Terracycle It! Things
we normally throw away are recyclable through Terracycle.net. Toothpaste tubes,
toothbrushes, cosmetics, lotion tubes, deodorant sticks, chips bags,... SMASH
has raised about $1100 since the 2010 school year. Many families collect
Terracylable packaging at home and bring them to school. There are Terracycle
bins in the small yard, in the breezeway leading to the small yard, and in Core
3. For more info or to obtain a complete chart of acceptable Terracycle
packaging, please email Core 3 mom Mimi Lichterman. mimilichterman@yahoo.com
*****************
Target
wants to donate to SMASH!
But, we need
your help.
Please visit
the Target page on Facebook and click on "Give with Target" You can
vote for SMASH once each day so vote early and often! The offer ends on
September 21!
*****************
IMPORTANT
REMINDERS
·
PLEASE
have your children cross the streets at the marked crosswalk with the crossing
guard. Do not cross with them or have them cross anywhere else on the street
BUT at the crosswalk. This has become a safety issue during drop-off and
pick-up times.
·
DO
NOT park in the Staff Parking lot on 5th Street. This is for STAFF ONLY between
the hours of 7am and 5pm. Please do not park there at anytime during the day to
pick up or drop off your child.
·
*****************
Elementary
Instrumental Music “Back to School” nights.
The district
music department would like parents and their child to attend one of the music
information nights and meet with the music teachers. The informational portion
of the evening will begin promptly at the start for each site to introduce the
music teachers, discuss expectations and go over vital information regarding
music supplies and equipment specifications.
6:00-8:00 pm,
Monday, September 9 at Lincoln Middle School Auditorium at 1501 California Ave.
or
6:00-8:00pm,
Tuesday, September 10 at John Adams Middle School Cafeteria at 2425 16th St
*****************
CORE 1
NEWS
Communication
Welcome to Core 1. We hope that you had a chance to attend
our Forum on Wednesday and are feeling as comfortable “at school” as your child
seems to be. We invite you to share any comments, questions or concerns with
your child’s Workshop Teacher (Graciela for Partners,
Chrysta for Bigs, and Christian for Mentors). These are your “Touchtone
Teachers” this year.
Sharing information - If you have information to share
with us that does not involve a discussion, (e.g. I will pick up my child early
to take him/her to an appointment, my child has an enrichment class today, my
child has a wiggly tooth) you could tell us, e-mail us, or leave us a written
message. If your child will be going home with a different person that day,
please post a note on the Family Message Board in Graciela’s room.
Sharing a discussion - If you want to discuss your child’s progress or if
you have questions, we ask that you e-mail us or see us to set-up a meeting.
Discussions should take place face to face and not via e-mail.
Attendance
We understand that there will be times when your child will
be absent from school for a good reason. We ask that you call the school office
at 310-396-2640 to share the reason for the absence. If you wish to e-mail your
child’s workshop teacher, please cc Janice (jwold@smmud.org) and/or Wende (wmiyamoto@smmusd.org). If you plan to have your child miss 5 days of school or more, please
see or e-mail your workshop teacher and Wende to let them that you would like
to complete an Independent Study. This involves talking to the teacher well in
advance whenever possible, signing a contract, and picking up the work before
your child’s absence.
Tardies
We also understand that your child may be late to school on
occasion. If your child arrives between 8:30 and 8:45 please direct your
child to his/her workshop teacher to greet her and to let her know that s/he
has arrived.
It is very important that your child does not get marked
absent and that your child connects with his or her workshop teacher before
going to Morning Meeting. If your child is more than 15 minutes late (arriving
after 8:45), we ask that you direct your child to the office to get a late slip.
Your child should deliver the late slip (and a greeting) to his/her workshop
teacher before catching up with his/her circle group. We are putting in
maximum effort to keep attendance records accurate and we need your help to get
it right.
Keeping Track of Our Things
Please be sure to label all of
your child’s things (lunch boxes, water bottles, jackets, lunch containers) so
that they do not get lost at school.
Dates to Remember
Monday, Sept 2 - School Closed - Labor Day
Tuesday, Sept 3 - Back to School Potluck Dinner (details in
this Friday Letter)
Thursday, Sept 5 - School Closed - Admissions Day
(observed)
HAVE A WONDERFUL 3-DAY WEEKEND!!
Christian, Chrysta, Graciela, Nadja
& Malaika
CORE 2 NEWS
We’re off
to a fantastic start in Core 2 this year! A big SMASHing welcome to Aurelio, Violeta, Nadia,
Owen, and Jackson! Both groups are practicing routines, learning the rhythm
of our new advisory rooms and teachers, and learning more about each other and
ourselves. Please be at school on time, 8:30am, and dressed for the day’s
activities in order to be a full participant in all that Core 2 and SMASH
have to offer! Let’s make an effort to “shake off” our summer habits of
sleeping in and dressing for the beach!
Summer
souvenirs are just
one way that we are finding out how each person spent their summer vacation. We
have already learned so much about each other during these shares. So far,
we’ve “visited” Kauai, The Virgin Islands, and Mexico, as well as “The Cove”
and other trips with friends and family. If you haven’t brought something in to
share, make sure you do, so that we can hear about your exciting adventures and
special summer memories!
Literacy:
We are
spending some time “launching” our reading and writing units. Each student will
be working on creating a “Book Brochure” that highlights their “Old Favorites”,
which can be any kind of book (picture, read aloud, Just Right, non-fiction),
as well as what is in their book basket/bin as Just Right Books. Students are
encouraged to bring in and share their “Old Favorites” with their
classmates. If there are Just Right Books that you have at home, please bring
them in to enjoy or read them at home for at least 30 minutes per day as
Reading Homework.
Core 2 Writers
have been creating pieces about their summer experiences. They have been
considering details and transition words that help their readers understand the
stories and to feel as if they are right there in the moment with the writer.
Some of us are using our Summer Souvenirs to inspire our writing pieces!
Math: Jayme
and the 3rd Grade Mathematicians have been visiting The Sticker Station
to practice our addition and subtraction skills and show multiple ways to
represent their thinking. We are thinking about place value as we explore
“strips” of 10 and singles. Tamara and the 4th Grade Mathematicians have been previewing all the different
mathemat-ical skills and strategies that they will cover throughout the year. 4th Graders have a Math Homework packet that is DUE next
Friday, September 6. No need for homework stress! Do what you can and bring
the packet back in to class if you need any help!
***Core 2 Forum is Wednesday,
September 11!***
Please join us
from 6:00-7:30pm as we experience a day in the life of Core 2! Parents
will see literacy and math in
action, just
as your children would. Be ready to be a student! There will also be
Q&A time to get all those burning questions answered. J The
Forum is a great time to meet teachers, other parents, and get to know what
Core 2 is plan-ning for the year. Core
2 is suggesting a $25 donation to buy classroom supplies and support the
“revamping” of our classroom library. Hope to see everyone there!
DATES TO
REMEMBER:
Monday,
September 2 NO SCHOOL - Labor Day Holiday
Tuesday,
September 3 5:30-6:30PM Back to School Potluck Dinner
Thursday,
September 5 NO SCHOOL - Admissions Day Holiday
Wednesday,
September 11, 6-7:30PM Core 2 Forum
Thursday,
September 12 Peterson Automotive Museum Trip
*Chaperones
welcome!
Friday,
September 13, 9:45-10:15am Core 2 Assembly
WISH LIST
Tissues
Scratch Paper
Have a relaxing, long weekend! See
you Tuesday!
*****************
CORE 3 NEWS
Core 3 Forum,
Wednesday, September 18th! We hope for 100% parent attendance!
We are suggesting a
$25 donation for school and art supplies for the year from each family.
Don't forget Music
instruments on Tuesday! That can happen after a no-school Monday.
Field Trip Thursday 9/19 to hear a comic opera The
Mikado by Sullivan and Gilbert.
Chaperones needed! Leaving campus at 10:30 and
returning by 2:00 via Big Blue Bus.
6th gr Math
with Erin: This week
we began our "Bits and Pieces I" unit by reviewing and learning about
factors. Students worked in pairs to play the factor game. Ask your child to
share this game with you. It's easy to make your own game board at home!
5th gr Math with Genie: We have begun looking at multiples
and factors. Math vocabulary can get confusing so if you have time
to discuss examples of multiples and factors, as well as the definitions of
these words, it will help your mathematician do the important work of
processing and growing their own learning around these important concepts. They
know that process and explaining their thinking is more important than the
right answer. Please remember that 5th grade
math homework is distributed on Fridays and are due the following Friday.
Please help your child find a good system to complete their homework. Students
recommend looking through the packet over the weekend and start a part that is
easiest. That way they can ask questions on confusing parts before Friday. A
little each day is recommended. If this homework packet causes stress at home,
please talk to Genie about the issues to make a plan that can work for your
family.
Social
Studies/Science with Erin: We
have started our year off with Geography - something that spans both the social
and physical science. This week we spent time thinking about maps. Students
started small, creating individual maps of SMASH. Students shared their maps
with each other and looked for similarities and differences in what they choose
to include. Some students shared their thoughts on how even mapping can depend
on ones point of view. From there we moved to larger maps. Students worked in
groups to create a map of the world from information they already have in their
heads. Using no atlases or already created maps, students worked hard to try to
visualize and remember different countries and continents. Next week, we will begin
working on our large wall map of the world.
Reading and
Writing Workshop with Genie: We've launched Reading Workshop! Please support your child in
their daily reading of a just right book by reminding them to do 30 minutes of
reading every day. Make sure it's a book they understand, enjoy and finish!
They will keep track of how many pages they have read at school. We've
discussed what debate is as well as begun informal debates and introduced the
formal debate format in Writing Workshop. In order to have lots to write about,
writers need things to write about and debate gives us ideas and reasons and
examples to prove our point. We will personalize our writing notebooks next
week so if your child hasn't gathered magazine pictures and things to glue onto
their notebook, they can bring their items on Tuesday.
Homework:
5G math:
packet #1. Due 9/6/13
RW: read every
day for 30-40 minutes (around 100 pages a week)
Dates to
Remember:
Mon, Sept 2
- School Closed - Labor Day Holiday
Tues, Sept
3 - Back to School Potluck Dinner - details in this Friday Letter
Thur, Sept
5 - School Closed - Admissions Day Holiday (observed)
Genie, Erin & Laura
*****************
CORE 4 NEWS
Welcome to a
year of learning adventures, thoughtful emphasis upon the development of
effective habits of work/mind/heart, and the culmination of your child’s
education here at SMASH. Pam and I are deeply aware of our responsibility to
your delightful and cherished children. We shall strive constantly to improve
our practice, to find engaging learning activities, and to be models of
thoughtful, fair, and generous humanity. Thank you for the gift of working
alongside your children.
The middle
school years are often hard for loving parents as most find that they must
fundamentally change how they demonstrate support for their children and let go
of previous patterns of parenting behavior. Communication becomes challenging,
simple issues bloom into complex dramas with little warning, risk taking on the
part of the kids becomes much more common than when they were younger. In a
sense, parents and teachers of this age group are confronted with a brand new
child daily, weekly, and monthly. Brain research tells us that this is indeed
true and that these fascinating young adolescents are navigating a period of
change equaled only by their time in their mother’s womb. We will do our best
to help navigate these years as we create a safe environment for our kids to become
resilient, caring, and thoughtful. Let us help you find ways to support them as
they fledge and fly away from the comfortable nest you have provided to this
point.
I think you
would agree that middle school students (ages 11-14) are exuberant, emotionally
volatile, and full of joy as they explore the world. This is a time of life
when children push away from parents and teachers; instead prioritizing
friendships and peer values above all else. As challenging as this sounds it is
a rare opportunity to deeply influence who these fabulous kids will become. Generally, this critical developmental
stage is characterized by four developmental needs.
Relationships: I want to connect with others.
To reduce fear
and a sense of being alone in the world, young adolescents need to build and
maintain relationships that provide safe ground upon which to make mistakes on
their journey. These relationships focus on peers in a way that they never have
before, but they also include powerful and reliable adult support. Young
adolescents can't make it alone!
Autonomy: I want to be independent.
The adolescent
drive to function separate from adults is a powerful motivator. It works for
school success when it drives middle level students to show that they can be given
big responsibilities and freedom, but against success when it turns into
rebellion. They need maps from caring adults to help them find their own way. Young adolescence feels like a make-or-break time for young people, a time when you have to demonstrate that you've got the right stuff or be seen as a loser. Adult scaffolding can make a crucial difference.
The need to enjoy moments of pleasure drives much adolescent behavior. Students will find their own fun during school hours (and sometimes pay a big price for it) if adults don't channel the need constructively.
1. Social learning is as important to
success as academic learning.
2. Students learn best by constructing
their own understanding through exploration, discovery, application of academic
concepts to real world situations, reflection,
self-evaluation, and especially the development of effective habits.
3. The greatest cognitive growth occurs
through carefully focused social interactions within a supportive community.
4. A set of personal/social skills that
students need to learn and practice in order to be successful socially and
academically is: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control. Just like core three!
5. Knowing the physical, emotional,
social, and intellectual needs of the students we teach is as important as
knowing the content we teach. We strive to teach one child at a time.
6. Trust amongst community adults is a
fundamental necessity for academic and social success in a learning community.
We must constantly communicate.
In closing, let me reiterate our joy at finding ourselves in the midst of such a wonderful and caring community. Together we shall seek that very finest learning, habits, and life adventures.
Please join us
at the core fore forum where we shall describe the specifics of each class.
Drop in to see what is going on here as we guide your children to new
opportunities.
Dates to
Remember:
Monday &
Thursday, September 2 & 5 - School Closed
Tuesday,
September 3 - 5:30pm - Back to School Potluck Dinner
*****************
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 - SCHOOL
CLOSED—LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 - SCHOOL CLOSED
- ADMISSIONS DAY (Observed)
*****************
SEE YOU ALL AT THE
SMASH BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT POTLUCK
DINNER!
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - from 5:30 -
6:30PM
Details in today’s Friday Letter
*****************
Dear
SMASHing Families,
My Summer was
full of professional reading and journaled reflections about our SMASH
instructional program. I hope to share many of these reflections throughout
Friday Letter entries in the coming months.
One of the
books I read was the psychological nonfiction book Quiet by Susan Cain. One of
the areas this book pushed me to think about is the collaborative work we
implement in SMASH classrooms.
Susan Cain
understandably states that the most effective teams have a healthy mix of
introverts and extroverts and that 1/3 to 1/2 of all people are introverts
(Page 255). Extroverts tend to like movement, stimulation, and collaborative
work. Introverts prefer lectures, downtime, and independent projects.
Her research
compels me to think about where each of our students falls on the
introvert-extrovert spectrum in order to better address each child’s need for
cooperative vs. independent work and collaborative vs. solo work spaces. Here
are some of Susan Cain’s statements based on characteristics of introversion
about which we can ask our children. (Page 13)
·
I
prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities.
·
I
often prefer expressing myself in writing.
·
People
tell me that I’m a good listener.
·
I’m
not a big risk taker.
·
I
enjoy work that allows me to “dive in” with few interruptions
·
I prefer not to show or discuss my work with others until it
is finished.
·
I
dislike conflict. I tend to think before I speak.
·
In
classroom situations, I prefer lectures to seminars.
As you visit
our classroom learning spaces, I invite you to notice the ways we are trying to
meet the needs of both introverts and extroverts by offering a mix of solo
workspaces, quiet zones, and group meeting areas as well as how we support our
children and ourselves in creating “restorative niches” in our daily lives.
In upcoming
letters, I’ll write about other Susan Cain ideas that spurred my thinking about
the social curriculum elements that build empathy and pro-social behaviors in
our children, and the ways persistence and sustained engagement is nurtured.
Enthusiastically
yours,
Jessica
*****************
Please Join
Us for A SMASHing
Back To
School Night and
Dinner!
Tuesday, September 3
5:30 to 6:30pm at the cafeteria lunch
tables
6:30 to 7:15pm Adults will join the
PTSA Info Session
There will be supervised play on the yard for the
children.
·
Re-connect
with old friends and
meet new SMASHING families!
·
Learn
about all the fun
and exciting SMASH PTSA events coming up this year and how you can help make
them a success!
We look forward to celebrating SMASH
“Back-To-School” with you!
*****************
Message from our SMASH
PTSA Presidents. . . . . . .
Dear SMASH families,
Welcome back to SMASH! We hope
you had a sunny summer with lots of rest and family time.
We hope you will kick off the
year by joining us for Back To School Night on Tuesday, September 3rd.
This is a great opportunity to
join with the community to share a potluck dinner, meet new SMASH families,
connect with old friends and learn about the events planned for this coming
school year.
Please let Ofer Grossman know
what you are bringing for the potluck by emailing him at omglaw@gmail.com
Potluck Dinner: 5:30pm to
6:30pm
PTSA SMASHING Presentation:
6:30pm to 7:15pm for adults (with
supervised play for children on the yard.)
We look forward to celebrating
SMASH “Back-To-School” with you!
Jamee Tenzer and David Saltzman
****************
DATES TO REMEMBER
Mon, Sept 2 - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tues, Sept 3 - 5:30pm - Back to School
Potluck Dinner
Thur, Sept 5 - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tues, Sept 10 - 6-8pm - Music Back to School
Night at John Adams Auditorium (Details in Friday Letter)
Wed, Sept 11 - 6:00-7:30pm - Core 2 Forum
Fri, Sept 13 - 9:45am - Core 2 assembly
Fri, Sept 13 - Core 4 Staff Appreciation
lunch
Wed, Sept 18 - 6:00-7:30pm - Core 3 Forum
Fri, Sept 20 to Sun, Sept 22 - SMASH Family
Camping at Camp Josepho (details in Friday Letter)
Wed, Sept 25 - 6:00-7:30pm - Core 4 Forum
Fri, Sept 27 - 8am - SMASH Bash Sale in
Small Yard
*****************
Don't Trash
It, Terracycle It! Things
we normally throw away are recyclable through Terracycle.net. Toothpaste tubes,
toothbrushes, cosmetics, lotion tubes, deodorant sticks, chips bags,... SMASH
has raised about $1100 since the 2010 school year. Many families collect
Terracylable packaging at home and bring them to school. There are Terracycle
bins in the small yard, in the breezeway leading to the small yard, and in Core
3. For more info or to obtain a complete chart of acceptable Terracycle
packaging, please email Core 3 mom Mimi Lichterman. mimilichterman@yahoo.com
*****************
Target
wants to donate to SMASH!
But, we need
your help.
Please visit
the Target page on Facebook and click on "Give with Target" You can
vote for SMASH once each day so vote early and often! The offer ends on
September 21!
*****************
IMPORTANT
REMINDERS
·
PLEASE
have your children cross the streets at the marked crosswalk with the crossing
guard. Do not cross with them or have them cross anywhere else on the street
BUT at the crosswalk. This has become a safety issue during drop-off and
pick-up times.
·
DO
NOT park in the Staff Parking lot on 5th Street. This is for STAFF ONLY between
the hours of 7am and 5pm. Please do not park there at anytime during the day to
pick up or drop off your child.
·
*****************
Elementary
Instrumental Music “Back to School” nights.
The district
music department would like parents and their child to attend one of the music
information nights and meet with the music teachers. The informational portion
of the evening will begin promptly at the start for each site to introduce the
music teachers, discuss expectations and go over vital information regarding
music supplies and equipment specifications.
6:00-8:00 pm,
Monday, September 9 at Lincoln Middle School Auditorium at 1501 California Ave.
or
6:00-8:00pm,
Tuesday, September 10 at John Adams Middle School Cafeteria at 2425 16th St
*****************
CORE 1
NEWS
Communication
Welcome to Core 1. We hope that you had a chance to attend
our Forum on Wednesday and are feeling as comfortable “at school” as your child
seems to be. We invite you to share any comments, questions or concerns with
your child’s Workshop Teacher (Graciela for Partners,
Chrysta for Bigs, and Christian for Mentors). These are your “Touchtone
Teachers” this year.
Sharing information - If you have information to share
with us that does not involve a discussion, (e.g. I will pick up my child early
to take him/her to an appointment, my child has an enrichment class today, my
child has a wiggly tooth) you could tell us, e-mail us, or leave us a written
message. If your child will be going home with a different person that day,
please post a note on the Family Message Board in Graciela’s room.
Sharing a discussion - If you want to discuss your child’s progress or if
you have questions, we ask that you e-mail us or see us to set-up a meeting.
Discussions should take place face to face and not via e-mail.
Attendance
We understand that there will be times when your child will
be absent from school for a good reason. We ask that you call the school office
at 310-396-2640 to share the reason for the absence. If you wish to e-mail your
child’s workshop teacher, please cc Janice (jwold@smmud.org) and/or Wende (wmiyamoto@smmusd.org). If you plan to have your child miss 5 days of school or more, please
see or e-mail your workshop teacher and Wende to let them that you would like
to complete an Independent Study. This involves talking to the teacher well in
advance whenever possible, signing a contract, and picking up the work before
your child’s absence.
Tardies
We also understand that your child may be late to school on
occasion. If your child arrives between 8:30 and 8:45 please direct your
child to his/her workshop teacher to greet her and to let her know that s/he
has arrived.
It is very important that your child does not get marked
absent and that your child connects with his or her workshop teacher before
going to Morning Meeting. If your child is more than 15 minutes late (arriving
after 8:45), we ask that you direct your child to the office to get a late slip.
Your child should deliver the late slip (and a greeting) to his/her workshop
teacher before catching up with his/her circle group. We are putting in
maximum effort to keep attendance records accurate and we need your help to get
it right.
Keeping Track of Our Things
Please be sure to label all of
your child’s things (lunch boxes, water bottles, jackets, lunch containers) so
that they do not get lost at school.
Dates to Remember
Monday, Sept 2 - School Closed - Labor Day
Tuesday, Sept 3 - Back to School Potluck Dinner (details in
this Friday Letter)
Thursday, Sept 5 - School Closed - Admissions Day
(observed)
HAVE A WONDERFUL 3-DAY WEEKEND!!
Christian, Chrysta, Graciela, Nadja
& Malaika
CORE 2 NEWS
We’re off
to a fantastic start in Core 2 this year! A big SMASHing welcome to Aurelio, Violeta, Nadia,
Owen, and Jackson! Both groups are practicing routines, learning the rhythm
of our new advisory rooms and teachers, and learning more about each other and
ourselves. Please be at school on time, 8:30am, and dressed for the day’s
activities in order to be a full participant in all that Core 2 and SMASH
have to offer! Let’s make an effort to “shake off” our summer habits of
sleeping in and dressing for the beach!
Summer
souvenirs are just
one way that we are finding out how each person spent their summer vacation. We
have already learned so much about each other during these shares. So far,
we’ve “visited” Kauai, The Virgin Islands, and Mexico, as well as “The Cove”
and other trips with friends and family. If you haven’t brought something in to
share, make sure you do, so that we can hear about your exciting adventures and
special summer memories!
Literacy:
We are
spending some time “launching” our reading and writing units. Each student will
be working on creating a “Book Brochure” that highlights their “Old Favorites”,
which can be any kind of book (picture, read aloud, Just Right, non-fiction),
as well as what is in their book basket/bin as Just Right Books. Students are
encouraged to bring in and share their “Old Favorites” with their
classmates. If there are Just Right Books that you have at home, please bring
them in to enjoy or read them at home for at least 30 minutes per day as
Reading Homework.
Core 2 Writers
have been creating pieces about their summer experiences. They have been
considering details and transition words that help their readers understand the
stories and to feel as if they are right there in the moment with the writer.
Some of us are using our Summer Souvenirs to inspire our writing pieces!
Math: Jayme
and the 3rd Grade Mathematicians have been visiting The Sticker Station
to practice our addition and subtraction skills and show multiple ways to
represent their thinking. We are thinking about place value as we explore
“strips” of 10 and singles. Tamara and the 4th Grade Mathematicians have been previewing all the different
mathemat-ical skills and strategies that they will cover throughout the year. 4th Graders have a Math Homework packet that is DUE next
Friday, September 6. No need for homework stress! Do what you can and bring
the packet back in to class if you need any help!
***Core 2 Forum is Wednesday,
September 11!***
Please join us
from 6:00-7:30pm as we experience a day in the life of Core 2! Parents
will see literacy and math in
action, just
as your children would. Be ready to be a student! There will also be
Q&A time to get all those burning questions answered. J The
Forum is a great time to meet teachers, other parents, and get to know what
Core 2 is plan-ning for the year. Core
2 is suggesting a $25 donation to buy classroom supplies and support the
“revamping” of our classroom library. Hope to see everyone there!
DATES TO
REMEMBER:
Monday,
September 2 NO SCHOOL - Labor Day Holiday
Tuesday,
September 3 5:30-6:30PM Back to School Potluck Dinner
Thursday,
September 5 NO SCHOOL - Admissions Day Holiday
Wednesday,
September 11, 6-7:30PM Core 2 Forum
Thursday,
September 12 Peterson Automotive Museum Trip
*Chaperones
welcome!
Friday,
September 13, 9:45-10:15am Core 2 Assembly
WISH LIST
Tissues
Scratch Paper
Have a relaxing, long weekend! See
you Tuesday!
*****************
CORE 3 NEWS
Core 3 Forum,
Wednesday, September 18th! We hope for 100% parent attendance!
We are suggesting a
$25 donation for school and art supplies for the year from each family.
Don't forget Music
instruments on Tuesday! That can happen after a no-school Monday.
Field Trip Thursday 9/19 to hear a comic opera The
Mikado by Sullivan and Gilbert.
Chaperones needed! Leaving campus at 10:30 and
returning by 2:00 via Big Blue Bus.
6th gr Math
with Erin: This week
we began our "Bits and Pieces I" unit by reviewing and learning about
factors. Students worked in pairs to play the factor game. Ask your child to
share this game with you. It's easy to make your own game board at home!
5th gr Math with Genie: We have begun looking at multiples
and factors. Math vocabulary can get confusing so if you have time
to discuss examples of multiples and factors, as well as the definitions of
these words, it will help your mathematician do the important work of
processing and growing their own learning around these important concepts. They
know that process and explaining their thinking is more important than the
right answer. Please remember that 5th grade
math homework is distributed on Fridays and are due the following Friday.
Please help your child find a good system to complete their homework. Students
recommend looking through the packet over the weekend and start a part that is
easiest. That way they can ask questions on confusing parts before Friday. A
little each day is recommended. If this homework packet causes stress at home,
please talk to Genie about the issues to make a plan that can work for your
family.
Social
Studies/Science with Erin: We
have started our year off with Geography - something that spans both the social
and physical science. This week we spent time thinking about maps. Students
started small, creating individual maps of SMASH. Students shared their maps
with each other and looked for similarities and differences in what they choose
to include. Some students shared their thoughts on how even mapping can depend
on ones point of view. From there we moved to larger maps. Students worked in
groups to create a map of the world from information they already have in their
heads. Using no atlases or already created maps, students worked hard to try to
visualize and remember different countries and continents. Next week, we will begin
working on our large wall map of the world.
Reading and
Writing Workshop with Genie: We've launched Reading Workshop! Please support your child in
their daily reading of a just right book by reminding them to do 30 minutes of
reading every day. Make sure it's a book they understand, enjoy and finish!
They will keep track of how many pages they have read at school. We've
discussed what debate is as well as begun informal debates and introduced the
formal debate format in Writing Workshop. In order to have lots to write about,
writers need things to write about and debate gives us ideas and reasons and
examples to prove our point. We will personalize our writing notebooks next
week so if your child hasn't gathered magazine pictures and things to glue onto
their notebook, they can bring their items on Tuesday.
Homework:
5G math:
packet #1. Due 9/6/13
RW: read every
day for 30-40 minutes (around 100 pages a week)
Dates to
Remember:
Mon, Sept 2
- School Closed - Labor Day Holiday
Tues, Sept
3 - Back to School Potluck Dinner - details in this Friday Letter
Thur, Sept
5 - School Closed - Admissions Day Holiday (observed)
Genie, Erin & Laura
*****************
CORE 4 NEWS
Welcome to a
year of learning adventures, thoughtful emphasis upon the development of
effective habits of work/mind/heart, and the culmination of your child’s
education here at SMASH. Pam and I are deeply aware of our responsibility to
your delightful and cherished children. We shall strive constantly to improve
our practice, to find engaging learning activities, and to be models of
thoughtful, fair, and generous humanity. Thank you for the gift of working
alongside your children.
The middle
school years are often hard for loving parents as most find that they must
fundamentally change how they demonstrate support for their children and let go
of previous patterns of parenting behavior. Communication becomes challenging,
simple issues bloom into complex dramas with little warning, risk taking on the
part of the kids becomes much more common than when they were younger. In a
sense, parents and teachers of this age group are confronted with a brand new
child daily, weekly, and monthly. Brain research tells us that this is indeed
true and that these fascinating young adolescents are navigating a period of
change equaled only by their time in their mother’s womb. We will do our best
to help navigate these years as we create a safe environment for our kids to become
resilient, caring, and thoughtful. Let us help you find ways to support them as
they fledge and fly away from the comfortable nest you have provided to this
point.
I think you
would agree that middle school students (ages 11-14) are exuberant, emotionally
volatile, and full of joy as they explore the world. This is a time of life
when children push away from parents and teachers; instead prioritizing
friendships and peer values above all else. As challenging as this sounds it is
a rare opportunity to deeply influence who these fabulous kids will become. Generally, this critical developmental
stage is characterized by four developmental needs.
Relationships: I want to connect with others.
To reduce fear
and a sense of being alone in the world, young adolescents need to build and
maintain relationships that provide safe ground upon which to make mistakes on
their journey. These relationships focus on peers in a way that they never have
before, but they also include powerful and reliable adult support. Young
adolescents can't make it alone!
Autonomy: I want to be independent.
The adolescent
drive to function separate from adults is a powerful motivator. It works for
school success when it drives middle level students to show that they can be given
big responsibilities and freedom, but against success when it turns into
rebellion. They need maps from caring adults to help them find their own way.
Competence: I want to experience success in what
I do and feel like a worthwhile, significant person.
Young
adolescence feels like a make-or-break time for young people, a time when you
have to demonstrate that you've got the right stuff or be seen as a loser.
Adult scaffolding can make a crucial difference.
Fun: I want to have a good time.
The need to
enjoy moments of pleasure drives much adolescent behavior. Students will find
their own fun during school hours (and sometimes pay a big price for it) if
adults don't channel the need constructively.
We meet these
needs using six research-based principles that have been proven here at SMASH
over the years and throughout the U.S. by many high achieving middle schools.
These include:
1. Social learning is as important to
success as academic learning.
2. Students learn best by constructing
their own understanding through exploration, discovery, application of academic
concepts
to real world situations, reflection,
self-evaluation, and especially the development of effective habits.
3. The greatest cognitive growth occurs
through carefully focused social interactions within a supportive community.
4. A set of personal/social skills that
students need to learn and practice in order to be successful socially and
academically is:
Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility,
Empathy, and Self-control. Just like core three!
5. Knowing the physical, emotional,
social, and intellectual needs of the students we teach is as important as
knowing the
content we teach. We strive to teach
one child at a time.
6. Trust amongst community adults is a
fundamental necessity for academic and social success in a learning community.
We must constantly communicate.
In closing,
let me reiterate our joy at finding ourselves in the midst of such a wonderful
and caring community. Together we shall seek that very finest learning, habits,
and life adventures.
Please join us
at the core fore forum where we shall describe the specifics of each class.
Drop in to see what is going on here as we guide your children to new
opportunities.
Dates to
Remember:
Monday &
Thursday, September 2 & 5 - School Closed
Tuesday,
September 3 - 5:30pm - Back to School Potluck Dinner
*****************
